Holi di maujan

Holi, the psychedelic festival, is lurking just round the corner. But Holi’s blithe spirit is already redolent in the air as merry children herald the joi de vivre of Holi with their water-pipes squirting liquid-colours all around. Brimming over with excitement, the spirits of children are soaring high amidst the din and the hustle-bustle of the festival.With homes busy rustling up lip-smacking delicacies like gujiya, papari, kanji ka paani and victuals in the run up to the festival, kids are having a whale of a time, their taste-buds already salivating in anticipation of feasting on the gourmet delights.
The evening before the full moon day of Holi, “Holika-dahan� is observed commemorating the legend of Prahlad and his devotion to Lord Vishnu. Bonfires are lit up at street corners and on the crossroads as dead leaves and dry twigs symbolizing evil is consigned to the flames.
Usually, this ceremony is a community celebration in which people gather near the fire and rend the air with folk songs. Some quaint customs are also attached to Holika dahan, but the burning of dry timber is central to the ritual commemorating Holika-dahan.
According to Kavita Saxena of Sector -4, Dwarka, “Corn sheaves are thrown into the fire and then collected and consumed after the fire dies down. Some people take the ambers from the fire to rekindle their own domestic fire.� Manisha Sinha, a native of Bihar from Mahavir Enclave informs that they cook elaborate meals with five types of pakoras and malpua and other tasty dishes for Holi. Relatives and friends are invited to sup and dine that day.
The Marathi community celebrates Holika-dahan in a unique way. In West Delhi, where they have a sizable presence, one can participate in the Holi fun at Datta Vinayak Mandir in Janakpuri where light-hearted banter and endearing abuses are showered on friends and relatives in a jovial spirit. “It is a way of settling old scores in a playful manner, without arousing animosity,� says a Marathi resident of Janakpuri.
The actual festival itself, Holi is celebrated the next day known as Parva when a riot of colours takes over. Coloured powder is smeared on faces; pichkaris filled with water are sprayed on people and water balloon thrown in the spirit of fun. For some, Holi is pure unadulterated fun; for others it is a religious festival; and for few it is an avoidable occasion.
Rahul Jain, 19, a college student from New Rohtak Road, Karol Bagh, is eagerly awaiting the festival this year to partake of it’s sheer fun. He says, “I enjoy the drenching and smearing of colours. The streets are full of the sound and boisterous fury of the merrymakers and I, too, join in the fun, whizzing through the streets, beating dholaks with my friends.� Adds Bittu Solanki of Lajwanti Garden, “I wait enthusiastically for this colourful festival. We prepare mud baths and people are dunked into it amidst the fun and laughter.�
The members of the Chaudhary family in Lajwanti Garden play Holi in Brij style. Says Ekta Chaudhary, “Men try very hard to squirt colours on us but all the womenfolk unite together to chase the men with bamboo sticks. At times, men are walloped by women and the days following Holi are spent in nursing cuts and bruises inflicted upon them. It’s the only time when we can thrash men, and my hands are already itching for action.�
During Holi, getting high on bhaang is perfectly acceptable. Thandai is offered to cool down the liver. However, it has become customary to mix bhaang with thandai. “Observing the altered behavior-pattern of those who have consumed bhaang is a sight that affords plenty of mirth and fun,� recalls Archana Singh of H-3 Vikas Puri.
However, there are some like Deepali Bhatnagar of B-1, Paschim Vihar, who shuts herself off on the Holi day. Deepali finds the festival dirty and messy though she relishes the Holi delicacies.
Kirti Kale, Hindi poetess and resident of New Jyoti Apartments, Dwarka is busy attending Hasya Kavi sanmellans these days. She remarks, “Though Kavi sanmellans are organised throughout the year, the Holi mood kicks in even richer and vibrant with the Hasya ras.. This is the most awaited but very hectic time for the poet-fraternity.�
And with the Hasya rang picking up momentum as Holi gets near, get ready to feed on the frenzy of the Holi masti.